INTERVIEW: Silence Therapeutics To Avoid Patent Fights - CEO
24 Febbraio 2010 - 6:31PM
Dow Jones News
Biotechnology company Silence Therapeutics PLC (SLN.LN)
Wednesday said it will resist spending time and money on costly
court challenges over patents in the fledgling field of RNA
interference, and will instead focus on developing its
newly-expanded technology and sealing new partnership deals.
Chief Executive Officer Phil Haworth, who took over at Silence's
helm following its December merger with U.S. peer Intradigm Corp.,
told Dow Jones Newswires that Silence won't be engaging in patent
scuffles with bigger rivals like Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
(ALNY)--if it can help it--because it is "a distraction from the
business."
He said the company's goals for 2010 will be completing the
integration of the two businesses and developing new delivery
systems for potential RNA interference-based drugs based on
Silence's and Intradigm's formerly competing technologies.
It is also aiming to negotiate at least one new partnership with
a pharmaceutical company, according to a corporate presentation
shown to investors. Silence has research deals with AstraZeneca PLC
(AZN.LN) and Japan's Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co. Ltd.
(4506.TO).
RNA interference is an experimental branch of medicine that
involves shutting off or silencing genes involved in disease by
disrupting RNA "messages" in cells.
The technology is still in its infancy and no medicines have yet
been developed, although a handful are in clinical testing by
companies including Alnylam and Quark Pharmaceuticals Inc.
(QURK).
Several of the companies involved, including Silence, have
accused others of violating their patents or have sought to reduce
the scope of their rivals'.
Haworth said these skirmishes, which he expects to continue,
aren't helping the nascent industry.
Company Web site: www.silence-therapeutics.com
-By Jason Douglas, Dow Jones Newswires; 44-20-7842-9272;
jason.douglas@dowjones.com
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